Roll forming apparatus



March 21, 1950 E. A. KRUsE RoLL FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-$heet l Filed on. 8, 1946 E A /f/Pas'f March 2l, 1950 E. A. KRUsE ROLL FORMING APPARATUS Filed 00T'. 8, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' 4 sheets-sheet s E. A. KRUS'E ROLL FORMING APPARATUS @TPH March 2.1:, 1950 Filed oct. 8. 194e MVA-wm? E /4 /IRUSE AUM/mf March 2l, v1950 E. A.-KRusl-:

' ROLL 'FORMI'NG APPARATUS Filed 00T.. 8, 1946 u@ 1l Y W.QQ N\\ Patented Mar. 21, 1950 Eugene A. Kruse, Downers Grove, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 8, 1946, Serial No. 701,961

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a roll forming apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for roll forming the edge of an annular skirt over an insert.

In the manufacture of certain high frequency apparatus, it is necessary to secure an annular plastic part within certain circular confines bounded by a short annular skirt, the edge of which is bent inwardly around its entire perimeter to secure the plastic part therein. Hammering or punching were not feasible because of the brittleness of the plastic part, and an apparatus for non-percussive deformation of the skirt edge 'had to be devised.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and eicient apparatus for accurately angularly displacing an annular edge.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, an apparatus is provided with a stationary circular chuck for holding a circular skirted work part, the circular edge of which is to be bent inward by rolling it down. A rolling tool radially and rotatably mounted on a ring gear surrounding the work part is gradually forced radially inward by a camming surface formed on a gear rotating about the same axis as the ring gear but with a differential-movement therebetween. A plastic part conned by Athe bent edge is further secured by crimping the edge into notches formed inthe part.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment vbled by rolling an edge on one of them;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 and taken on the line 4--4 of that figure;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section taken on the `line 5-5 of Fig. 2 to show the details of the manual control for turning the Work part about its axis to properly align it;

- Fig. 6 is a part-sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line `l--ii of Fig. 2. .This viewi shows vthe contour of the .cam surfaces .on the .cam gear and the relationship between the rolling toolfand thecam surfaces; -'Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the rolling tool cammed into contact with the skirt edge which is shown in this figure completely rolled clown; af Fig. 8 illustrates the means for forcing the crimpingtool against the rolled skirt edge; Fig. 9 is a view showing vthe ends of the crimp.- ing Atool forced against vthe rolled skirt;

Fig. l0 is a sectional plan View taken ,on the line ||l| of Fig. 9 to illustrate the relative position of the twin posts of the crimping tool with respect to the other parts of the apparatus; and l. 1 1

Fig. 11 is a plan View of a completelyassembled, rolled and crimped work piece.

As will be seenfrom the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention is admirably suited forv operating on a vacu-um tube part 20 .of generally tubular structure having a short skirt 2| which when `angularly displaced inward serves to hold in place a plastic cap A22 between the inwardly bent skirt edge and an inwardly extending annular shoulder 23 which is part of the structure .of the tube part. rlhe .details of. the interior of *thentube part are not of particular ,interest here except that the` cap 22 has a notch Z4-,which must be in alignment with a rectangular kwave guidev 3|] disposed within the tube part ,20, -(Figs. 3, 10 and 1l). f l

While being worked upon, the tube part 2|)v is held in a circular chuck 3| mounted on .a relatively heavy horizontalplate 32 which is firmly .secured to frame members 33 and 34. The chuck 3| comprises an irregularly shaped circularblock 35 extending through and securely xed in an aperture 36formed in the plate 32. A frustoconical aperture 40 formed in the block 35 accommodates a tapered split collar 4| which is contractible upon the kapplication thereto of upwardly applied pressure furnished by a threaded collet -42 screwed into a threaded extension 43 kof the lower end of the frusto-conical aperture 40. For added leverage and* convenience, the .collet 42 is provided with a lever 44. An'aperture 445 in vthe colletl 42 provides a convenienti opening through which .the tube part 20 may be inserted so that yit may be gripped by the' tapered collar 4|. -A.circular plug 5|! adapted to slideably iit the aperture 45 and locked in place by cooperative locking members 5| and 52 is adapted -to prevent ydownward displacement of the'tube part 2|li'whileit. isi being properly positioned inthe apparatus. The tube part2n maybe rotated -to locking member is slideably disposed in an aperture 64 formed in the upright 33, fthe-.aperture being slightly larger than that left end of the locking member (Fig. 2),.` A'cammin-g surface 35 formed on the locking member-l is adapted to cooperatively engage a cam which is an integral part of the locking-member t52. Thus upon horizontal manipulation of lthe lock-H on the members 35 and 14, respectively, to permit rotationgofthe member |22 around its central axis. A ring gear |30 is secured to the lower end of the circularV member |22 and is fitted against anannular shoulder |3| formed in the memberA |22 so that the bottom surfaces of the member |221 and of vthe-- ring gear |30 are ilush and ing member 5| will either force a tubelpa-rt20-"- vertically into position or permit its removal.

- Directly above the plate 32 and in a plane parallel thereto, another plate 1| ismountedona pair. of blocks 12 and 13 at opposite ends of the plate 32 which blocks together with the plate-1| and the plate 32 form a solid structure. An irregular shaped circular insert 14 is secured in an aperture 15 formed in the plate 1| and coaxial of the aperture 36. The insert 14 is provided with a central aperture 80 having a slight enlargement 8| at its lower end to accomodate the peripheral edge of the upper part of the cap 22 when a tubepart is clamped in the chuck 3|. Slideably disposed in the central aperture 80 is a sleeve 82 having a small locating key 83 extending from its lower circular edge and adapted to engage the slot 24 in the cap 22 when properly aligned.

A transparent disc 84 (Figs. 2 and 8) having hair lines 85 (Fig. 1) inscribed thereon is secured to the lower end of the sleeve 82 to facilitate the alignment of the wave guide with the notch 24. To hold the sleeve 82 against rotation, an annular ilange 85 at the upper end of the sleeve is interrupted `to provide a straight edge 90 (Fig. 1) which abuts a bifurcated vertical extension 9| of the insert 14. The length of skirt or tubular edge which will be rolled by this apparatus is determined by the degree of upward displacement of the sleeve 32 permitted by the position of the left end of an adjustable lever 92 pivoted between the tines of thebifurcated' extension 9| (Fig. 4).

Variable adjustment is provided by a bolt 93 threaded into the otherend of the lever and the bolt may be locked at any chosen position by aset screw 34. A pair of `dian'ietrically opposite apertures 95 and B6 in the block 14 and semicircular cutouts |00 and |0| inthe iiange 85 slideably accommodate the legs |02 and |03 of an inverted U-shaped crimping tool |04, which may be forced downward by a lever |05 rotatable and slideable on a bolt ||0 that passes through a tapered aperture and is screwed into the plate 1|. Theffulcrum of the lever is'a washer ||2 between the head of the bolt ||0 andthe upper surface of the lever |05. Force is applied to the left end of the lever (Fig. 8) by a manual,lever-operated eccentric ||3 pivoted in a slot ||4 formed in the-end of the lever- |05. A substantially universal `movement at the vfulcrum is provided by virtue of the tapered aperture the lowerend of which is enlarged to accommodate a helical spring ||5 which resiliently urges theleveragainst the washer ||2; 1

The rolling mechanism is located betweenthe plates 1| and 32 andthe structure'V isisuchpthat betweenx-limits -ar rolling: tool |20 travelsdnfa 'the cap 22 is aligned with and slideably engage the upper surface of the plate 32...;.SQJ

The rolling tool |20 is progressively forced radially toward the center of orbital rotation by any one of a series of camming surfaces |32, |33 and |34 (Fig. 6) on a ring |35 rotating around the central axis in a path parallel to that of the circular member |22 but slightly faster than that member thereby producing a differential movement between the rolling tool traveling around the central axis and the camming surfaces. The cam ring |35 is secured to a ring gear |40 which is rotatably mounted on a shouldered peripheral surface 4| along the upper portion of the circular member |22. Gears |30 and |40 are driven by gears |42 and |43, respectively, iixed to a shaft |44 which is journalled in the plates 1| and 32 and |45 and |46.

A beveledgear |50 at the upper end of the shaft |44 is engaged by another beveled gear |5| xed to a shaft |52 journaled in an upright member |53 and may be rotated by a manually operable crank |54 xed to the other end of the shaft |52. It will be apparent that when the crank is operated the gears on the shaft |43 will be rotated thereby driving the ring gears |30 and |40. For the apparatus to operate properly there mustbe va difference in the number of teeth between the two ring gears and also between their respective driving gears so that the result will be a differential movement between the ring gears, the upper ring gear |40 moving slightly faster than the lower ring gear |30. For example, the gears may be designed so that when the upper gear |40 vmakes one revolution, the lower gear |30 will make 95/96 of a4 revolution thereby providing a diii'erential of one part in 96 at the end of each revolution.

In the operation of the apparatus, the locking member 5| is first grasped by the handle and pulled to the left (Fig. 2) to permit removal of the-circular plug 50 Vfrom the chuck-3| after which a tube part 20 is Aplaced in a cavity |60 formed in the plug 50so that a an'ge |6| on the tube part 20 rests on the cavity rim. The plug and the tube part are then inserted into the aperture 45 until the upper part of the tube part extends through the split collar 4| .and the plastic cap '22 fits into the enlargement 8| of the aperture in the insert 14. Next, the cap 22 is oriented byA turning the plug 50 and with it the tube part 20 until the notch'24 in engaged by the key`83 on the sleeve 82. f v y y l In the meantime, the sleeve 82 should be limited to a predetermined height by adjusting'the lever 92.with vthe vbolt 93. ,'Since the cap 22 abuts the end ofthe sleeve 82,5the height of the sleeve will.

determine the length of skirt edge that will be rolled over. When the cap 22 has been properly aligned, the tube part 20 is held against rotation by tightening the collet 3| thereby contracting the split collar 4| around the tube part. Figure 6 shows the tube part and the relative position of the rolling tool and the cam surfaces at the start of the rolling operation. The crank |54 is then operated imparting motion to the shaft |44 thereby driving the gears |30 and |40. While the gears |30 and |40 are rotating, the differential movement therebetween causes the cam surfaces to move relative to the right end of the rolling tool (Fig. 6) thereby gradually and progressively advancing the rolling tool radially inward while the rolling tool is carried around the tube part 20 by the member |22. For example, the cam surface |33 moves from a point |62 to a point |63 (Fig. 6). Thus the edge 2| will be gradually bent inward without the danger of cracking the cap 22.

After the edge 2| has been rolled down, the tube part 20 is loosened slightly by relieving a part of the pressure on the tapered collar 4|, and the wave guide 30 is aligned With respect to the notch 24 by turning the collar 53 until the hair lines on the transparent disc 84 are in line with a wave guide 30, after which the tube part is again securely clamped. The crimping tool |04 is then placed in position by inserting the legs |02 and |03 into the apertures 95 and 96 (Figs. 8, 9 and l). Pressure is then applied to the yoke of the crimping tool by means of the lever which should be swung from the position shown in solid (Fig. 1) to the dot and dash position of the same iigure. The tube part and the crimping tool |04 are so aligned that when pressure is applied, the rolled skirt edge 2| is crimped directly over notches |64 and |65 formed in the base of the cap 22. The crimp permanently maintains the align ment of the wave guide 30 with respect to the notch 24 in the cap 22. Fig. 11 illustrates a tube part after the skirt edge has been first rolled and then crimped.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for angularly displacing a circular edge of an article comprising a stationary chuck to hold said article in a predetermined relation to a central axis, an annular member surrounding said article and rotatable about said central axis, a rolling tool having a shaft fixed thereto journalled for rotation and longitudinal movement along its rotated axis within an aperture formed in said annular member, the rotative axis of said shaft being disposed radially with respect to said central axis, a ring gear supported for rotation about said central axis, a cam member attached to said ring gear and having an arcuate camming surface with a gradually decreasingradius relative to said central axis, said camming surface being in engagement with one end ofthe shaft of said rolling tool, and means for rotating said annular member and said ring gear with a differential speed therebetween so that the changing radius of said camming surface gradually will force said rolling tool radially inward toward said central axis.

2. An apparatus for deforming the circular edge of a tubular member comprising a frame, a. chuck mounted on said frame for holding said tubular member in a predetermined position with respect to a central axis, a rotatable member rotatable about said central axis, a rolling tool having an axis of rotation disposed along a radius of said rotatable member, the rolling tool being rotatably mounted on said rotatable member and movable along its own rotative axis radially with respect to said central axis, a second rotatable member rotatable about said central axis, said second rotatable member having an arcuate camming surface with a progressively changing radius with respecty to said central axis, said camming surface being in engagement with one end oi said rolling tool, means for rotating said rotatable members with a diiferential speed between them, a crimping tool movable in a direction at an angle to said movement of said rolling tool along its own axis, means associated with said frame to guide said crimping tool through said hollow member to engage said edge, and a multiple lever mechanism on said frame operatively engaging said crimping tool for applying force thereto.

3. An apparatus for bending the circular edge of a tubular ymember comprising a frame, a pair of parallel plates having a space therebetween and supported on said frame, a chuck secured to one of said plates for holding said tubular member with reference to a central axis, an annular member supported between said plates for rotation about said central axis, a rolling tool having a shaft rotatably mounted on said annular member and also movable along a radius of said member, a ring supported for rotation between said plates and coaxial of said annular member, said ring being provided with an arcuate camming surface having a progressively changing radius with respect to said central axis, said camming surface being in engagement with said rolling tool shaft, means to rotate said annular member and said ring at different speeds so that said rolling tool will be gradually forced radially inward toward said central axis by said camming surface while said rolling tool is being carried about said central axis.

4. An apparatus for deforming the edge of a tubular member comprising a frame, a chuck mounted on said frame for holding said tubular member with reference to a central axis, a rolling tool having a rotatable shaft and adapted to engage said edge, hollow circular means for carrying said tool around said central axis, the shaft of the rolling tool being disposed radially with respect to said central axis, means for forcing said rolling tool radially inward toward said central axis while said rolling tool is being carried about said central axis, an inverted U-shaped crimping tool, means associated with said frame to guide said crimping tool through said hollow circular means to engage said edge, and a lever fulcrummed intermediate its ends on said frame, one end of said lever engaging said crimping tool and the other end of said lever having an eccentric means for applying force to said lever.

EUGENE A. KRUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,493,515 Berthold May 13, 1924 1,548,177 Strange Aug. 4, 1925 1,804,284 Smith May 5, 1931 2,283,962 Wilson et al May 26, 1942 2,290,619 Rieger July 21, 1942 2,342,715 Wilson Feb. 29, 1944 2,368,817 Fischer Feb. 6, 1945 2,377,829 Vaill June 5, 1945 2,403,998 Pottle July 16, 1946 

